URGENT E-MAIL FROM THE WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES

Can you please help us spread the word?

October 4, 2012

Dry conditions and extreme wildfire risk have not been seen in a lifetime

Everyone is urged to do their part to prevent wildfires

OLYMPIA –The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning spanning from Seattle to Eugene, west of the Cascade crest to the coast. Western Washington and Oregon are experiencing a historically dry weather event. West Coast residents have not seen conditions like this in a lifetime. People are urged to spread the news about extreme fire potential and to take every precaution to prevent a wildfire.

October’s shorter days and cold might may lull people into a belief that it’s time for campfires and that fire risk must have faded with the last days of summer. Unfortunately, the region had no measureable rain in August and just experienced the third driest September on record. Our current trend of dry winds coming from the east does not allow grasses, brush and other fuels to recover overnight from the day’s wind and sun.

If this were a normal season, hunters and recreationalists would be building their fires and enjoy a typical, potentially soggy, October season. The extreme fire weather will continue into the coming weekend, and many normal October outdoor activities, such as outdoor fires, could lead to devastating wildfires.

For information about hunting closures and restrictions on DNR-managed lands, see our Hunting Alert (http://bit.ly/RcQcwL)